From left – right: Ptarmigan © Ed Duthie, Ptarmigan nest © Stuart Rae, Ptarmigan chick © Paul Bingham
North-East Scotland bird atlases – digital downloads
North-East Scotland has undertaken two bird atlas surveys. The first (Buckland, Bell & Picozzi 1990), covered what is now Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City (the current SOC ‘North-East Scotland’ bird recording area). It was an all-year round atlas (survey years 1981-1984) and was pioneering in its scope and approach. All species occurring in the area were included.
The second (Francis & Cook 2011) was a 2x2km ‘tetrad’-based breeding bird atlas (survey years 2002-2006) and covered the North-East Scotland area above but also included Moray, part of the SOC’s Moray & Nairn bird recording area. Only breeding birds were included (not passage or wintering species).
Both were very well received but have been out of print for many years. SOC members can borrow a copy of both Atlases from the library, subject to availability and terms and conditions.
Digital versions are now available for download
By agreement with the editors, both books are now freely available to download. Please note that taxonomic order of species differs between the two books, and both are different to the currently accepted order.
If you enjoy the downloads, you may wish to consider making a donation to the SOC, which you can do online here (please make a note of what it's for, thank you!).
The Birds of North-East Scotland 1990
If you would like a PDF of the whole book, please contact us, asking for a WeTransfer link for The Birds of North-East Scotland 1990 PDF (note – this a very large file, c.90mb).
Individual sections (smaller file sizes, each less than 20mb) can be downloaded below in PDF format.
Pages 1-81 Cover, title page, introductory pages, acknowledgements, Chpt. 1, The making of the physical landscape, Chpt. 2, Vegetation, Chpt. 3, Survey methods and data analysis, Chpt. 4, Systematic list [divers, grebes, seabirds, herons, swans, geese to Pink-footed Goose]
Pages 82 - 187 Systematic list [geese to Brent Goose, ducks, birds of prey, grouse and partridges, Pheasant, rails and crakes, waders – Oystercatcher to Sanderling]
Pages 188 - 287 Systematic list [waders to Turnstone, skuas, gulls, terns, auks, pigeons and doves, Cuckoo, owls]
Pages 288 - 387 Systematic list [non-passerines from Swift, woodpeckers, Skylark, swallow and martins, pipits and wagtails, Waxwing, Dipper, Wren, Dunnock, chats and thrushes, warblers, Goldcrest, flycatchers, tits, Treecreeper, shrikes, Jay]
Pages 388 - 473 Systematic list [crows to Raven, Starling, sparrows, finches, buntings, rare species], Chpt.5, Special bird communities – the high tops, the native pinewoods, wintering wildfowl, seabird habitats, coastal birds and seabirds, Names of species, Index.
The Breeding Birds of North-East Scotland 2011
For the whole book, please click here to download a PDF (note – this a very large file, c.187mb).
Individual sections (smaller file sizes, each less than 20mb) can be downloaded below in PDF format.
Pages 0 - 61 Cover, title page, Introduction, Methods, Bird Habitats, Species Accounts [Introduction, Swans, Geese, ducks to Teal]
Pages 62 - 103 Species Accounts [ducks - Green-winged Teal to Ruddy Duck, grouse, partridges, Quail]
Pages 104 - 151 Species Accounts [Pheasant, divers, seabirds, herons, grebes, birds of prey – Honey-buzzard to Merlin]
Pages 152 - 199 Species Accounts [Hobby, Peregrine, rails and crakes, Crane, waders – Oystercatcher to Curlew]
Pages 200 - 241 Species Accounts [waders – Common Sandpiper to Redshank, gulls, terns, auks, Feral Pigeon]
Pages 242 - 281 Species Accounts [pigeons and doves, Cuckoo, owls, other non-passerines, woodpeckers, Red-backed Shrike, crows – Magpie to Rook]
Pages 282 - 321 Species Accounts [crows – Carrion Crow to Raven, Goldcrest, tits, larks, swallow and martins, warblers (Phylloscopus) to Blackcap]
Pages 322 - 361 Species Accounts [warblers to Sedge Warbler, Treecreeper, Wren, Starling, Dipper, thrushes, Spotted Flycatcher, chats to Redstart]
Pages 362 - 399 Species Accounts [chats to Whinchat, Pied Flycatcher, Dunnock, sparrows, wagtails and pipits, finches to Siskin]
Pages 400 - 521 Species Accounts [finches to Hawfinch, buntings, additional species], Distribution patterns and Species Richness, Changes in bird distributions and numbers, Conservation of the breeding birds of North-East Scotland, References, Annexes [Acknowledgements, Atlas Facts and Figures, Further details of methods, Population estimates, Scientific names, Glossary, Gazetteer], Index of birds and subjects.
Please note that many maps in the 2011 atlas contain OS data (© Crown copyright). Please also note that the website www.nescotlandbirdatlas.org.uk, referred to in the 2011 Breeding Bird Atlas, is no longer operative.
More information about ‘The Breeding Birds of North-East Scotland’
Read the reviews:
Click here to read what reviewers have been saying about The Breeding Birds of North-East Scotland…
View a sample page:
Click here to view a sample page from the Atlas
About the Atlas...
North-East Scotland is very important for breeding birds, holding over one-fifth of the UK population of Scottish Crossbill, Parrot Crossbill, Ptarmigan, Dotterel, Crested Tit, Snow Bunting and Goldeneye and more than a third of Scotland's Sandwich Terns, Goshawks, Tree Sparrows and Corn Buntings. This new breeding bird atlas presents the results of five years of survey work in Moray, Aberdeenshire and Aberdeen City and includes almost half of the Cairngorms National Park. It maps the distributions of all breeding birds during 2002-06, and as the first repeated local breeding bird atlas for any area in Scotland, makes comparisons with earlier atlases, both local (1981-84) and national (1968-72 and 1988-91). Where possible, information on breeding birds has been updated to 2009.
The maps use the familiar 2x2km 'tetrad' and the 2,340 surveyed make this the largest of its kind ever undertaken, covering almost 4% of the UK land area and 11% of Scotland. Species accounts have been written by sixty local authors, and many photographers from North-East Scotland contributed a wide range of images illustrating breeding activity, a distinctive feature of this atlas. For each species, its habitat, breeding biology, local breeding status and distribution are summarised. An estimate of breeding population is provided, along with evidence for changes in distribution and numbers. The geography and habitat context in which our breeding birds are found is described in some detail, as are the main influences on their distribution and trends in numbers – issues that are critical to bird conservation. The atlas, with a foreword by Adam Watson, is 528 pages in length and full colour throughout.
Useful links
Find out more about the North East Scotland recording area and the Moray and Nairn recording area.
Visit North-East Scotland branch page
